# Britain by galleries and rail · Two bases with one hotel change

[Canonical itinerary](<https://zukio.com/trips/europe/open-jaw/britain-by-galleries-and-rail-z0609/>)

Two bases with one hotel change

- Region: Europe
- Trip format: Open jaw
- Nights: 7
- Interests: History, Arts & Theatre, Literature, Food & Drink, Nature

## Route and nights

- London · 3 night(s)
- Edinburgh · 4 night(s)

Tradeoff: Keep the two places you most want to see. Verify whether the direct transfer works before dropping the middle stop.

Compare: Rail

## Day-by-day agenda

Suggested schedule. Times are local. Check hours and availability for your dates.

### Day 1 · London

- 15:30 to 16:15 · Check in and drop your bags · citizenM Tower of London
- 16:35 to 17:35 · Take a short orientation walk near the hotel · St Katharine Docks, London. Skip this block if you arrive later.
- 17:50 to 19:15 · Have dinner near the hotel · Tower Hill, London
Overnight: [citizenM Tower of London](<https://www.hotels.com/ho579364/citizenm-tower-of-london-london-united-kingdom/>) · London

### Day 2 · London

- 08:15 to 09:10 · Breakfast near Tower Hill · Tower Hill, London
- 09:30 to 09:55 · Walk around the Tower moat and find the entrance · Tower of London, London
- 10:00 to 12:45 · Visit the Tower of London · Tower of London, London. Allow time for the Crown Jewels, White Tower, and a Yeoman Warder talk if one fits. Reserve admission for a morning slot that matches the official opening calendar. If you take the optional Viator tour, use its actual start and end times and replace the separate Tower Bridge walk with the bridge visit included in the tour. [Official information](<https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/visit/>)
- 13:00 to 14:00 · Lunch by St Katharine Docks · St Katharine Docks, London
- 14:10 to 15:00 · Cross Tower Bridge on foot · Tower Bridge, London. The street-level crossing is enough for this route. If you want the paid exhibition, use some of the next block. [Official information](<https://www.towerbridge.org.uk/plan-your-visit>)
- 15:10 to 16:40 · Follow the riverside to More London and Hay’s Galleria · Hay’s Galleria, London. Look back across the Thames to the Tower and leave room for a coffee break.
- 18:00 to 19:30 · Dinner around London Bridge · London Bridge, London
Overnight: [citizenM Tower of London](<https://www.hotels.com/ho579364/citizenm-tower-of-london-london-united-kingdom/>) · London

### Day 3 · London

- 08:30 to 09:15 · Breakfast around Tower Hill · Tower Hill, London
- 09:25 to 10:00 · Take the Underground toward Trafalgar Square · Charing Cross, London. Use the route planner for your dates. [Official information](<https://tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey/>)
- 10:10 to 12:45 · See a focused selection at the National Gallery · National Gallery, London. Pick a few rooms or painters and check which galleries are open. [Official information](<https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/visiting>)
- 13:00 to 14:00 · Lunch in Chinatown or Soho · Chinatown, London
- 14:15 to 15:40 · Browse the streets and shops around Seven Dials · Seven Dials, London
- 15:55 to 16:45 · Pause in Covent Garden · Covent Garden, London. This is the easiest block to cut if you choose a matinee.
- 17:15 to 18:30 · Early dinner within walking distance of the theater · West End, London
- 19:30 to 22:00 · See a West End performance · West End, London. Suggested evening block. Move dinner and the theater block to your actual curtain time, and arrive early. [Official information](<https://officiallondontheatre.com/>)
Overnight: [citizenM Tower of London](<https://www.hotels.com/ho579364/citizenm-tower-of-london-london-united-kingdom/>) · London

### Day 4 · Edinburgh

- 08:15 to 09:00 · Have breakfast before checking out · Tower Hill, London
- 09:00 to 09:45 · Check out and allow time to reach the departure point · citizenM Tower of London
- 09:45 to 15:30 · Travel from London to Edinburgh · London King’s Cross. Check the departure station and reserve seats if available. Carry lunch or plan for food on the train. Use the confirmed times for the journey you book.
- 15:40 to 16:35 · Check in after you reach the new base · ibis Edinburgh Centre South Bridge. Keep dinner flexible if the transfer runs late.
- 17:45 to 19:00 · Have dinner near your new hotel · South Bridge, Edinburgh
Overnight: [ibis Edinburgh Centre South Bridge](<https://www.hotels.com/ho444124/ibis-edinburgh-centre-south-bridge-royal-mile-edinburgh-united-kingdom/>) · Edinburgh

### Day 5 · Edinburgh

- 08:30 to 09:15 · Breakfast around South Bridge · South Bridge, Edinburgh
- 09:30 to 10:00 · Walk to Lady Stair’s Close · Lady Stair’s Close, Edinburgh
- 10:05 to 11:25 · Visit the Writers’ Museum · The Writers’ Museum, Edinburgh. Check the museum calendar before going. [Official information](<https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/venue/writers-museum>)
- 11:45 to 12:45 · Browse the bookshops around the Old Town · Old Town, Edinburgh. Use this block for one or two shops rather than crisscrossing the city.
- 12:55 to 13:55 · Lunch around George IV Bridge · George IV Bridge, Edinburgh
- 14:05 to 15:20 · See the current exhibition at the National Library of Scotland · National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh. Check the current exhibition and opening times. [Official information](<https://www.nls.uk/>)
- 15:35 to 16:50 · Walk to Greyfriars Kirkyard and George Square · Greyfriars Kirkyard, Edinburgh
- 18:00 to 19:30 · Dinner in the Southside · Southside, Edinburgh
Overnight: [ibis Edinburgh Centre South Bridge](<https://www.hotels.com/ho444124/ibis-edinburgh-centre-south-bridge-royal-mile-edinburgh-united-kingdom/>) · Edinburgh

### Day 6 · Edinburgh

- 08:20 to 09:10 · Breakfast around South Bridge · South Bridge, Edinburgh
- 09:30 to 10:15 · Travel to the Leith waterfront · The Shore, Edinburgh. Compare the tram and bus routes for your dates. [Official information](<https://edinburghtrams.com/>)
- 10:25 to 11:55 · Walk The Shore and the Water of Leith · The Shore, Edinburgh. Keep to a waterfront loop so lunch stays nearby.
- 12:05 to 13:20 · Lunch around The Shore · The Shore, Edinburgh
- 13:40 to 14:30 · Continue to Stockbridge · Stockbridge, Edinburgh. Take a bus or set aside more time if walking.
- 14:40 to 16:45 · Explore Stockbridge and pause for coffee · Stockbridge, Edinburgh. Use the time for a short neighborhood walk and stop at a cafe rather than adding another ticketed visit.
- 18:00 to 19:30 · Dinner around Stockbridge · Stockbridge, Edinburgh
Overnight: [ibis Edinburgh Centre South Bridge](<https://www.hotels.com/ho444124/ibis-edinburgh-centre-south-bridge-royal-mile-edinburgh-united-kingdom/>) · Edinburgh

### Day 7 · Edinburgh

- 08:15 to 09:00 · Breakfast around South Bridge · South Bridge, Edinburgh
- 09:15 to 09:55 · Walk down the Royal Mile to the Scottish Parliament · Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh
- 10:00 to 12:05 · Walk a signed Holyrood Park route · Holyrood Park, Edinburgh. Check route closures and conditions on the park page. If a path near Salisbury Crags is closed, stay on the open lower routes. If conditions are poor, swap in an indoor museum. [Official information](<https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/holyrood-park/>)
- 12:30 to 13:30 · Lunch near the Canongate · Canongate, Edinburgh
- 13:45 to 15:30 · Visit the Palace of Holyroodhouse if open · Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh. Check the day’s hours and reserve a suitable slot. The National Museum of Scotland is an indoor alternative. [Official information](<https://www.rct.uk/visit/palace-of-holyroodhouse>)
- 15:45 to 17:05 · Walk back through Canongate and stop for coffee · Canongate, Edinburgh
- 18:15 to 19:45 · Dinner around South Bridge · South Bridge, Edinburgh
Overnight: [ibis Edinburgh Centre South Bridge](<https://www.hotels.com/ho444124/ibis-edinburgh-centre-south-bridge-royal-mile-edinburgh-united-kingdom/>) · Edinburgh

### Day 8 · Edinburgh

- 08:00 to 08:45 · Have breakfast near the hotel · South Bridge, Edinburgh
- 09:00 to 09:45 · Take an optional last walk · Royal Mile, Edinburgh. Skip the walk if you have an early departure.
- 10:00 to 10:30 · Check out and collect luggage · ibis Edinburgh Centre South Bridge
- 10:30 to 11:30 · Allow time for onward travel · South Bridge, Edinburgh. Use the confirmed departure and pickup times from your booking.